MAC Move Protection - VPLS/H-VPLS

Overview

MAC Move Protection is a Layer 2 feature for detecting and managing the movement of MAC addresses across various interfaces in Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) or Hierarchical VPLS (H-VPLS) networks.

In VPLS environments, MAC address moves can occur across Attachment Circuits (AC), Spoke-PWs, and Mesh-PWs. MAC Move Protection is particularly useful in detecting and responding to these movements within these different components.

Characteristics of MAC Move Protection - VPLS/H-VPLS

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Monitors MAC address movements across Attachment Circuits (AC), Spoke-PWs, and Mesh-PWs, detecting any moves between these components in a VPLS/H-VPLS topology.

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Enables detection settings across multiple VPLS instances, ensuring uniformity and reducing redundant configurations.

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Allows more granular control, enabling overrides for detection timers and error-disable actions on specific instances.

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Administrators can configure detection interval and move count threshold.

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When a MAC move is detected, this feature:

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Applies error-disable actions to ACs to prevent disruption.

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Brings down Spoke-PWs or Mesh-PWs, reducing impact on the network.

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Automatically restores components after the error-disable or operational down actions are triggered.

Benefits

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By detecting and managing unexpected MAC address moves, the feature helps prevent network loops, service disruptions, and performance degradation, ensuring stable VPLS connectivity.

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The action mechanism minimizes disruptions by intelligently deciding which components to block (AC, Spoke-PW, or Mesh-PW) based on priority, reducing the impact of MAC move events on the overall network.

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With syslog reporting and detailed CLI commands, network administrators can quickly identify and address MAC move issues.

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The ability to configure detection settings both globally and at the instance level provides flexibility in managing large-scale VPLS networks.